


Coming Home

by ashitanoyuki



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: (not a heavy theme but I will die on the hill of popularizing that tag), Author is salty about both Allura and Lotor and it shows, Character Death Fix, F/M, Fix-It, Good Lotor (Voltron), Post Season 8
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-12
Updated: 2019-08-12
Packaged: 2020-08-23 20:20:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,229
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20212426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ashitanoyuki/pseuds/ashitanoyuki
Summary: It took the combined efforts of Allura, Lotor, and Honerva to fix the breaks in reality. Only one is required to stay behind; the other two can go home,





	Coming Home

Fixing the multiverse was exhausting.

She'd thought, at the time, that commanding the Castleship was exhausting. That being a paladin of Voltron was exhausting. None of it compared to the bone-deep weariness of fixing all realities, of straining to pour what she'd learned on Oriande into fixing the fabric of reality itself. Even with Lotor and Honerva beside her, assisting, she could take only brief periods of rest; without maintenance and supervision and assistance, reality would crumble. Reality needed support and care, until it could be healed.

It took eons to reach stability. Allura wasn't sure how much time had passed in any given reality, but it felt to be an eternity. But not even destruction could last forever; eventually, they reached a point where reality was as stable as it had been before it had ever been broken in the first place.

But it would need a watchkeeper – someone to stay behind, to mend the cracks in case something ever happened again to destroy the world.

“I have it from here,” she found herself saying, offering Lotor and Honerva a tired smile. Enemies she may have been with both of them, but for eons, they had been her only companions. She didn't look forward to the impending loneliness of losing them, but they deserved a chance to be a family again – or to discover what it meant to be family for the first time.

Lotor frowned. “It's not right that you should stay, Allura,” he said quietly. “My Sincline ships ripped the first holes in reality – this is not your burden to bear, but mine.”

Allura offered him a tired smile. Too often, over the eons, Lotor had expressed his regret in his involvement in the near-destruction of existence – she had to admire that about him. “I appreciate the offer,” she said, “but you deserve a chance to experience a peaceful universe.”

“You both do.” It was rare that Honerva spoke; shocked, Allura turned to face her. Lotor tensed, but met her gaze nonetheless.

“The innocent princess of Altea who selflessly sacrificed herself to save worlds should go home,” Honerva said quietly. “And my son, who was led astray in his actions despite his best intentions due to my own inaction and corruption, should be allowed to experience the peaceful existence he dreamed of.” She regarded them steadily. “None of this would have happened if not for my experiments on the rift. So I will stay, and I will care for reality. The two of you should re-enter existence in your world.”

A lump rose in Allura's throat. It had taken her a long time to come to trust Honerva, waiting for treachery from Haggar even as they worked together. “But the two of you should go back,” she said quietly. “You can be a family again.”

Lotor muttered something under his breath, and Honerva shook her head. “I lost my right to call Lotor my son ten-thousand decaphoebs before breaking the world in an attempt to get him back,” she said quietly, tilting her head down and allowing her hair to fall in her face. “But as a mother… take care of him, will you?”

Allura opened her mouth to respond, but no words came out. Honerva smiled, an odd glow emanating from her as she stretched out her hands. “Go home, Allura. Find yourself, Lotor,” she said, sadness tingeing her voice. “I will keep reality safe.”

The world flashed white around her, and Allura knew no more.

* * *

She came to in a grassy field, her eyes watering, her head spinning. “What?” she croaked, pushing herself up on her elbow. This wasn't the sparkling space between realities.

Beside her, Lotor sat, holding his head in his hands. “Did she…” he murmured, sounding almost lost. “She really did it.”

Lotor, at least, was a constant. Her gaze sharpened, and she sat up, eyeing him. “Where are we?” she demanded.

Lotor's hands dropped, and he turned his gaze to the sky. His eyes widened. “It can't be,” he murmured. “Surely not!”

Allura directed her gaze to the sky, and her breath caught.

_Altea._

Tears welled in her eyes. “How is this possible?” she managed, her voice choked.

“Perhaps when we rebuilt reality, we brought back Altea, somehow,” Lotor said, breathless.

It was hard to breathe. Allura's eyes darted around, catching on a structure in the distance.

Could it be – the Castle of Lions?

“Coran,” she breathed, staring at it. _“Lance.”_

Lotor flinched, then inclined his head. He pushed himself off the grassy ground, rising to his feet, and gestured to the structure. “Shall we, princess?” he asked.

Allura shot to her feet and bolted past Lotor, heedless of his outstretched hand. Unused to breathing and existing in a corporeal state, her lungs began to burn, but she could not stop, she could not slow – not when her loved ones were in reach.

Lance. Coran. Shiro and Keith and Hunk and Pidge and Romelle. Even that damned wolf - she'd give anything to see them again, and she was so close –

Allura gasped as she slammed into a body, unseen in her desperation to get back to the castle. “Whoa!” the man yelped, reaching out to steady her. “Easy there, little lady, I'm sure…” he trailed off, and Allura turned her gaze towards him.

His ears were as ridiculously round as they had ever been. Blue marks sat beneath his eyes – a legacy she had gifted him. He paled, dropped his hands, and stepped back. “Allura?” Lance whispered, his voice trembling.

“It seems we were deposited in the correct reality after all,” Lotor said, coming up behind her.

Lance yelped and jumped into a defensive position. “Lotor?!” he squeaked. “What the quiznack is going on?!”

Allura couldn't help but laugh at Lance's atrocious use of Altean slang. “We're back,” she said softly, reaching out with a trembling hand to caress Lance's cheek. His marks were rough, textured, beneath her fingers; she traced the gift she had left him, and Lance closed his eyes. “Honerva will continue to monitor reality, while Lotor is free to explore the universe. And I – I am free to come home, Lance,” she said softly. “To come back to you.”

Lance took a shaky breath, tears pooling in his eyes.

And then his lips were upon hers. Allura bit back a squeak as Lance pulled her in tightly, pressing his chest against hers, arms tight around her waist. She wrapped her arms around his neck, her heart beating frantically as she chased a kiss she'd never thought she'd have again.

Lance broke the kiss with a sob. “I love you, Allura,” he choked out, his voice wet. “I love you so much. I never thought – I always assumed…”

Allura kissed him, reaching up to run a hand through his short, soft locks. “I'm here,” she murmured. “I'm back. And I love you too.”

Lotor cleared his throat, deliberately looking away from them. “We should coordinate with Coran – assuming he is in charge of the castle,” he said awkwardly. “I should like to begin my exploration of a peaceful universe, if that is permissible. And – and the rest of your team will want to know that you're alive, Allura.”

Allura flushed. “Of course,” she said. “Lance, can you lead the way?”

Lance grinned, his teeth flashing a dazzling white. “Sure thing, princess,” he said. “Let's get you home.”

**Author's Note:**

> I've got this super-complicated fix-it AU in my head, but I have too many other Voltron fics in the works to actually write it, so I just wrote this for fun.


End file.
